There is a new obsession in the smartphone world—and it folds. Sometimes twice. Sometimes three times. And if things continue this way, maybe one day we’ll unfold a 43-inch TV from our pocket and politely ask the person next to us on the train to excuse us while we binge-watch YouTube. 📺📱

Today, foldable and multi-fold phones are no longer experiments. They are statements.

And yet, one question keeps echoing louder than the hinge-click of a Galaxy Z Fold:

Where is Apple?

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A Simple Question, A Surprisingly Simple Answer

A few days ago, I saw someone using a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. Curious, I asked the most basic question:

“Why did you buy this phone?”

I expected a long speech—innovation, productivity, multitasking, future tech.

Instead, the answer was beautifully honest:

“When I open YouTube, the video plays on one screen and the controls are on the other.”

That’s it.

No corporate jargon. No productivity charts.

Just YouTube comfort.

And honestly? That argument holds.

Because when you open a foldable phone, suddenly apps feel larger, movies feel immersive, and content consumption feels… indulgent. For someone whose phone life revolves around videos, the foldable makes emotional sense.

But then—I argued with myself.

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The Crease: The Elephant in the Middle of the Screen

The moment I opened that foldable phone myself, I noticed it.

The crease.

Yes, when the screen lights up, it politely fades into the background. You don’t notice it—until you do. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

This is the weird part.

The crease feels like a compromise. A reminder that we are forcing glass to behave like paper.

And deep down, I believe this crease will remain—for most manufacturers.

Which brings us to China.

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China Didn’t Join the Race—They Became the Race

Huawei. Xiaomi. Oppo. Vivo. Honor. OnePlus. Tecno.

They didn’t just enter the foldable market—they flooded it.

Two-fold phones. Three-fold phones. Bigger. Wider. Taller. Thinner. Louder.

Innovation here feels aggressive, almost playful:

“What if we fold it one more time?”

At this pace, the idea of carrying a tablet—or even a TV—in your palm doesn’t sound ridiculous anymore. 2026? 2027? Maybe.

Meanwhile, brands like Google and Motorola—largely seen as US-centric—are participating, but cautiously. Their foldables feel more like:

“We should be in this race.”

Not:

“We must redefine this race.”

Globally, the foldable conversation is currently dominated by Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo—and yes, Google.

And yet… Apple is silent.

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Apple’s Silence Is Not Absence

Let me be clear: I don’t want to answer why Apple hasn’t launched a foldable iPhone yet.

But I want to argue with myself about it.

Rumors say:

• After iPhone 18 Pro
• Late 2026
• Or sometime in 2027

Maybe.

But Apple has never been about being first.

Apple is about being the standard others are measured against.

Samsung makes phones.

Apple makes something else.

Something closer to a gem.

Slim. Precise. Delicate. Yet powerful enough that when you carry it, it has weight—not physically, but socially.

That’s why I struggle to believe Apple will release a foldable iPhone with a visible crease.

Because that would feel like settling.

And Apple doesn’t settle.

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What If Apple Doesn’t Fold at All?

Here’s where my argument turns inward.

What if Apple doesn’t fold the screen?

What if:

• A button triggers a horizontal screen expansion
• Or a sliding panel emerges seamlessly
• Or a projection-based display extends the screen

No hinge. No crease. No brick-like thickness.

The phone remains slim. Trim. Lightweight.

Still unmistakably iPhone.

Because if Apple does enter the multi-screen world, it won’t be for the sake of folding glass. It will be meaningful, not mechanical.

And yes—this would demand massive changes.

Maybe even an entirely new iOS philosophy.

iOS 27, perhaps.

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The Battery Problem Apple Cannot Ignore

Here’s the harsh truth.

Even today, iPhone users think about battery more than they should.

Power banks. Chargers. Low Power Mode anxiety.

Now imagine a foldable iPhone.

Bigger screen.

More pixels.

More consumption.

Apple cannot afford to release a foldable device without solving battery life first. Not improving it. Solving it.

A foldable iPhone that dies before dinner would damage the brand far more than skipping the category entirely.

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The Camera Bump: A Blister on a Beautiful Design

Another uncomfortable thought.

Recent iPhones are slim, refined, almost flawless.

And then there’s the camera bump.

Bulky. Raised. Visibly intrusive.

It feels like a blister on a beautiful sculpture.

If Apple is truly preparing for a futuristic form factor, I believe the camera must disappear—under-display, under-panel, invisible.

A foldable iPhone with a massive camera bump?

Unacceptable.

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The Price Question Everyone Is Afraid to Ask

Let’s be honest.

A foldable iPhone will not be cheap.

You’re not carrying one iPhone anymore.

You’re carrying two experiences in one device.

My guess?

👉 At least 55% more expensive than a standard iPhone.

And yet, people will buy it.

Because Apple doesn’t sell specs.

Apple sells conviction.

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My Final Argument—with Myself

Foldable phones today are exciting.

They are bold.

They are imperfect.

They feel like the future—but not the final future_toggle.

If Apple enters this space, it won’t be to copy Samsung or challenge China on fold counts.

It will be to redefine what a large-screen phone means.

No crease.

No gimmick.

No compromise.

Until then, the foldable world will continue experimenting.

And Apple?

Apple will wait.

And when it arrives—whenever that is—it won’t just fold.

It will make the argument irrelevant, because

“Sometimes, the future doesn’t arrive first—it arrives right.“